


Lets just go camping and pretend this never happened

by thereswaytoomuchsugarinthis



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Camping, F/F, Fluff, Hiking?, Ill change the rating though dont worry, Mostly Fluff, Some angst?, it'll get uh little explicit later, itsacoyote!, ohsnap!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-23 00:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17069912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thereswaytoomuchsugarinthis/pseuds/thereswaytoomuchsugarinthis
Summary: Friends, fun, and the great outdoors (oh and pretending you didn't get into an ass-grabbing, teeth-scraping make-out session with one of them after trivia night).Where Korra is panicked, and Asami is clueless and that's how love always starts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@YariValtean](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40YariValtean).



> Can 'camping' be a muse?  
> this is going to be at least 3 chapters so uh, hope thats cool.

It had been over an hour since they turned off the interstate. The truck jostled and bumped along the windy narrow road and Korra tried not to think about all the dirt and rocks kicking up into the undercarriage.

 She had begged Mako to let them take his car instead, but he argued they could never fit all the equipment into his small black four-door. He was right, of course, but Korra still wished they had at least tried.

 Her truck was over fifteen years old and at the point where getting it to start without fuss was small miracle. She was worried about it making a trip this long, but Asami told her she would take her toolkit just in case something happened.

 ‘you mean _when_ something happens’ Korra had told her.

 It was when they hit a particularly nasty pothole and they worrying scrape that followed that she secretly decided that her next car was going to be Smart Car. See if her friends could rope her into helping them move with that.

“Don’t worry, its metal. It can handle it.” Asami said from the passenger seat, not looking up from her book.

 Korra didn’t know how Asami could be reading right now. Korra couldn’t even look at her phone for more than a couple minutes without getting queasy.

 “But I can always take a look, just in case.” She added.

 “Just don’t try and guilt me into replacing your pipes, I know the difference between rock dents and rust rot.” She looked up this time, smiling hesitantly at Korra.

 Korra felt a wave of guilt wash over her; she had been nothing but short with Asami all day. Honestly, she had no idea how to act around her.  
A drunken kiss at the train station would do that. She tried, she tried to act like it was no big deal, but it was hard to maintain any semblance of normalcy around her after she knew what it felt like to kiss her. Especially after Asami hadn’t even acknowledged that it happened.

 “Thanks.” It sounded cold and clipped and she knew it was going to hurt.

 From the corner of her eye she could see the look of hurt cross Asami’s face. But she didn’t say anything more, and returned to her book. Korra’s heart sank; it wasn’t supposed to be like this.

 Honestly, she had of ditching the trip all together—coming up with some excuse or another-- but she knew it would look to much like ditching skipping school after a rejected confession. Asami was acting like it was no big deal, and it was imperative that Korra do the same, or it could mean the end of their friendship. Something Korra was determined to keep from happening. The kiss wasn’t a big deal and she was going to treat it that way.

 She spared a glance at Asami, sitting quietly, her hair tied up and brushed over one of her shoulders; the afternoon sun giving her a warm, inviting glow and suddenly all Korra could think about kissing her again and that now, (after weeks of repressed wondering), she knew how soft Asami felt against her; how she tasted like that ‘delicate rose’ lip gloss she used,( _flowers can taste good, Korra_ , she had laughed), and how it felt to have Asami’s hands run up and down her back and _oh god she was thinking about it again, stop, stop—_

 “Alright! Just a little longer and it’s vacation time! and the great outdoors!” Bolin interrupted her thoughts (thank God), poking his head between the seats. He and Mako had clearly sensed something was up and had been talking more than usual to try and fill the silences.

“How you feeling Korra? Pumped? Amped? Totally ready?” Bolin was drumming on Korra’s shoulders, as though he could vibrate her out of her mood. Korra felt another wave of guilt, he was trying so hard and Korra owed it to him to try too. They had been planning this for months, it as their vacation too, Korra’s emotional whirlwind would have to wait.

 “Totally ready.” She nodded. Trying to sound light.

 “I can’t wait to eat my weight in hot dogs.” He sighed wistfully.

 “Please don’t. I have been looking forward to the fresh air all week and I don’t want it to be ruined by sharing a tent with two hundred pounds of hot dog gas.” Mako shot back. A glance in the rearview revealed a cross armed and very serious glare aimed at Bolin.

 “We can water it down with s’mores.” Korra laughed. The bickering brothers always managed to help lighten things up.

 Bolin froze.

 Asami looked up from her book, “Bolin…?” she asked, tentative.

 “Tell me you didn’t forget the s’mores.” Mako piped up from the backseat.

 “Uhh...”

 “Bolin! You’ve got to be kidding me! You had a list!”

 “Well I didn’t see it!” Bolin whipped his head around to face Mako.

 “I put it on the fridge!” Mako exclaimed, anger rising.

 Bolin was a person of boundless energy, fun, and always ready for adventure. Korra adored that about him, but she had to admit that his limitless enthusiasm often made him skip the details. Like packing. Or remembering to leave the house with his shoes.

 “Ok boys. Just relax. We can just go to the store and pick some up. No harm done.” Asami cut in, attempting to diffuse was heading for a full blown-fight.  
Bolin gave her a hesitant glance, and she patted Bolin on the arm.

 “Sure, yeah. I can just go and—"

 “I’ll go.” Korra interrupted, a little too fast.

 There was a beat of silence before Mako spoke up “You don’t have to Korra. Bolin was the one who forgot- he should be the one to get them.”

 “Yeah Korra, its ok. I’ll go.” Bolin agreed.

 “Its fine, Bolin, I want to.” She tried to keep the bite out of her voice.

 She tried.

 Asami looked stricken. It was becoming clear that Asami was starting to figure out that Korra’s mood had something to do with her and Korra needed to fix it.

 What she needed was a moment to collect herself-- to be alone. This was a good chance.

 “I need to get some stuff too. It’s no problem.” She amended, hoping it would ease the rising tension.

 “Ill go with you then!” Bolin slapped her on the shoulder, “the more hands the better, right?” 

She swallowed a sigh. There went her moment of peace. 

“Right. Thanks Bolin.”

 

 

Korra had left Mako and Asami at the campsite and backtracked to a small store they had passed along the way. The ride was mostly silent, save for the staticky radio station and Bolin’s occasional humming.

Korra ambled around the store, trying to buy time enough for her deep breathing exercises. Bolin had left her alone, save for the occasional ‘ _this one, this one, or both?_ ’ questions. She forgot how intuitive he could be. She would have to thank him later. Or maybe just buy him that fancy beer he liked.

They returned to the car with arms full of guilt-fueled over purchasing. Korra had even bought an extra cooler, hoping it would seem like she actually needed to make the trip instead of using it as an excuse to get away from Asami. They already had four, so the odds were not great.

The campsite mostly set up by the time they got back. Logs arranged in a perfect tripod, along with a makeshift grate cleverly engineered with rocks, some twisted hangers, and and bamboo twine for whatever food didn’t fit on a stick.

Sometimes Korra forgot how resourceful Asami was. Perfect hair and glossy lips notwithstanding, she was a brilliant engineer—abel to gave any one of the seasoned engineers at Sato Industries a run for their money. 

Korra felt a swell of pride watching her squatting by one of the two tents, fiddling with a joint rod.

Korra froze. She had forgotten she and Asami were sharing a tent.

Panic rising, she scrambled to think of a convincing lie that would allow her to switch with one of the boys but was interrupted when Asami swiveled, reaching for a tool, and caught her eyes.

She felt her face heat up, it was obvious Korra had been staring. Asami studied her for a moment, face blank, before snagging a tool and returning to her task without a word.

Korra felt a cold spike through her chest. If she couldn’t get her act together she might end up losing Asami anyways.

She dropped the box of snacks on the picnic table, letting out a heavy sigh.

“That’s a lot of stuff.” Mako said from behind her. 

“Heck yea it is!” Bolin yelled back, slamming the door to the truck, the last of the bags in hand, “Tonight, we feast like kings!”

“Ahem.”

“Erm. And queens. Sorry, Asami.” He added sheepishly.

“See that it doesn’t happen again, Sir Bolin.” She said in mock seriousness, not looking up from where was now packing up the tool bag.

Korra let out a poorly stifled laugh, trying to ignore the way Asami’s eyes snapped to her at the sound.

Mako let out a tired breath plopped down in one of the folding chairs set around the tri-pod of firewood, opening a bag of trail mix.

Korra moved to sit in the chair next to him, starting in on a bag of her own chips.

“Starting in already?” Korra teased.

“We’ve been driving all day—”

“Eh, more like three hours.” She corrected.

He fixed her with a withering look.

“Okay, three hours. But I’m starving. Besides you’re one to talk.” He gestured to Korra, her hands buried in a bag of chips, chewing loudly.

She stuck out her tongue, food bits and all.

“Gross!”

A sultry, teasing voice came from behind them, “Korra talking with her mouth full again?” Asami asked, resting her hand on the back of Mako’s chair.

“I swear she were raised by wolves.” Mako sighed.

“Wouldn’t be surprised.” She agreed, an accusing tone to her voice. Its not like she didn’t have it coming, but it still hurt.

Mako chuckled. If he noticed her tone, he didn’t let on.

Asami glanced at Korra before leaning over Mako and reaching for the trail mix but instead of picking it up, she slid her hand right into bag resting on Mako’s lap.  
Asami didn’t seem to notice his furious blush, as she popped some into her mouth, meeting Korra’s eyes with a nonchalance that made Korra’s stomach tighten.

  
_She definitely did that on purpose._

 “I wasn’t raised by wolves, Mako. I was raised by polar bear dogs.” Korra corrected, determined to ignore whatever come-on Asami was trying to throw at her.

“Just the one actually.” Bolin piped up from his spot organizing the food into ‘sweet, sour, salty and orgasmic’ categories. Apparently ‘umami’ sounded too pretentious.

“Just the one, huh? Well, no wonder she’s like that-- it does take a village, after all.” Asami teased. Her tone was light, but Korra felt the jab underneath it as though she had slapped her. Korra swallowed. She going to lose her friend.

Asami snatched the bag from Mako’s lap and sat gingerly in the chair opposite Korra. Mako, probably still a little stunned by Asami’s earlier boldness, didn’t offer any protest.

Korra huffed. She wanted to say something about being raised by money but she swallowed it. It was petty and mean, and Asami didn’t deserve it. She felt guilty for even considering it, but seeing Asami’s hand in Mako’s lap reminded her that she and Mako used to date, and that maybe they used to touch each other like that, in places like that, and it soured something in her.

The sun was setting. It would be dark soon and despite the tightness in Korra’s chest, she was excited to get the fire lit and start eating.

Outdoor adventures were fun, but hanging around the campfire was easily her favorite part. The soothing sounds of crackling wood; staring in the fire, watching the sparks float lazily up and disappear against the night sky. Sometimes it made her homesick, but even so, there wasn’t anything better.

She moved to start the fire, but Mako stopped her.

“I got this.” He said in his ‘officer Mako’ tone. It was supposed to sound confident and professional, but he was so new to the job that it didn’t come off as natural quite yet. Anyone that didn’t know him would never notice—with his cut jaw and squared shoulders he had an air of natural authority-- but to Korra, he sounded a little funny, like a kid trying on his big-boy pants.

Korra was just about to poke fun at him but Bolin beat her to it.

“Hurr, hurr, me Mako. Me do fire.” Bolin said, plopping down in the seat next to Korra with a mischievous smile.

Mako scowled, “Shut up Bolin. You can’t even light a match—I always have to do it for you.”

“I don’t want to burn my delicate hands.” Bolin pursed his lips and mimed taking a delicate sip of an invisible tea cup.

“You’re just mad that you have to light up all the candles on Bolin’s date nights.” Asami chided.

Korra snorted. “Totally!” she agreed, “and you don’t even get to stay in the apartment.” Without thinking she looked over to Asami, they were always a tag team when it came to Mako. Old habits die hard.

Instead of a cold glare or unamused frown she was expecting, she was met with the same secretive smile they always shared.  
Korra let out a breath, tension draining with the exhale.

That knowing, secretive smile had always been Korra’s and Korra’s alone. She was sure of it, and whenever she saw it, she felt her heart swell close to bursting. To know that Asami, beautiful and daring Asami, had something that was meant for her, and _only_ her, made her feel this strange and rushing relief. That no matter how far Asami may drift from her, there was always a corner of her love reserved just for Korra.

Well that, and knowing that maybe Korra hadn’t totally blown it helped to put a tiny patch over the crack that had been forming in her heart the past few hours.  
“Whatever.” He huffed.

Korra timidly returned Asami’s smile, and with the way Asami’s face softened, Korra knew that maybe she could salvage this weekend.

 

 

Mako started up the fire, steadfastly ignoring the teasing looks everyone was giving him. While they waited for the flames to grow, Bolin grabbed a couple boxes, filled to the brims with food.

“What first, hot dogs or beans?” He asked, rubbing his hands excitedly.

“I’m not eating canned beans.” Asami replied flatly.

“What, why did you even bother to make that—that thing?” he pointed to the grill like contraption the base of the fire that had caught Korra’s attention earlier. She could see the wire hangers had been cut and twisted, no doubt with the help of Asami’s Swiss Army knife that she always carried with her. Along with her near Smithsonian sized collection of beauty products.

Korra had discovered it when she cut her hand on it reaching into Asami’s purse when she asked Korra to grab her that fancy rose lip gloss for her.  
The fancy lip gloss that she now knew the taste of.

“For you.” Asami said simply.

It was a weird feeling. Getting wet because of a thoughtful gesture.

Asami remembering that Bolin liked canned beans, and brining materials with the intention of building something for him to cook them on, all while not even liking them herself, made Korra embarrassingly wet.

Korra held back a groan, because that was Asami. She had everything, brains, beauty and wealth- she could be arrogant, she could be cruel, but she wasn’t. She was sweet, and kind, and endlessly thoughtful.

She was the kind of person that made an extra trip to the store, grab Korra’s favorite chips, and sneak them into the movie, surprising Korra by pulling them out right before the previews, a triumphant smile on her face.

One time, she surprised Korra with tickets to see a band she didn’t ever remember even mentioning to Asami.

 

_‘I didn’t even know they were still touring!’ Korra squealed, grabbing Asami’s arm and jumping around her unable to contain her energy._  
_“They aren’t. Its just a reunion show.” Asami had said, looking more than a little pleased._

_“How did you even know?” Korra asked. She knew she probably looked like she had when her parents had finally gotten her that Nintendo 64 for her birthday. Wide-eyed, and probably a little but worshipful, but she couldn’t help it._

_“Just happened upon it when I was looking for something to do this weekend.” She shrugged._

_“Have I told you that I love you?”_

_Asami snaked an arm around Korra’s waist and led her through the doors. “you could mention it more.”_

 

Months later, Korra had discovered that Asami didn’t even like the band, but she had researched the band, and even paid for the tickets. Just to make her happy.

To hell with lighters. They could have used Bolin’s blush to start the campfire instead.

He sputtered for a moment before leaning over his chair to bury his face in Asami’s shoulder, mumbling a very bashful thanks into her jacket. She replied with a very warm, and very affectionate “Of course.”

unaware that her thoughtfulness was reducing her friends to sputtering blobs of affectionate putty.

‘Affection’ probably wasn’t a strong enough word for what Korra was feeling, but she couldn’t afford to think about that now.

Bolin busied himself with the can of beans, fumbling with it while trying to hide his blush (no one was ever immune to Asami’s thoughtfulness, no matter how many years they had known her).

Asami watched Bolin struggle with the wrong side of the can opener, making a dangerous mess of sharp edges and twisted metal before gently taking the can from his hands and peeled it open. Handing it back to him with an affectionate pat on the arm.

Her hair was out of her ponytail, hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her black jacket with a sweatshirt hood was so different than the professional pencil skirts, and sharp, fashionable coats Korra usually saw her in. She looked young, and soft, and achingly pretty.

She caught Korra’s stare with a curious tilt of her head, and before Korra could try and play it off she gave a small wave, hand barely leaving her lap before turning back to watch Bolin adjust the can of beans reverently on the makeshift grill.

_Affection is definitely not a strong enough word._

The warmth of the night made the scent of sweet eucalyptus and damp grass (nights always smelled damp in the summer, didn’t they?) come alive. Korra inhaled deeply and was brought back to her childhood and the summer nights in Alaska.

Only here, instead of the clean scent of Denali Pines, it was of Eucalyptus and the mighty sycamores of the Pacific Northwest; heavier, sweeter.  
It reminded her that she was somewhere else. Somewhere far from home. She looked up at the patches of night sky visible through the trees and felt small. There was a burst of laughter from her friends. She felt small and so, so warm.

There was no place she would rather be.

Conversation flowed easily, voices made soft by the fire. Mako talked about being stuck on desk duty this week, and Asami talked about a senior engineer that was impossible to work with. Bolin had finished the can of beans nauseatingly fast, and was moving on to s’mores.

“He won’t hear any kind of input on his designs,” Asami groaned, “ever since the team decided to go with my design he’s had it out for me.”

Bolin nodded intently, urging her on.

Asami threw her hands in the hair, “And you know what else? On Monday he was hanging all over me while I was resistance testing, you know? And would get this self-satisfied look on his face every time I had to make adjustments. Like he was waiting for something to go wrong—like he wanted something to go wrong.”

Asami sank, head in her hands, letting out a frustrated sigh.

“How could anyone wish failure on someone else?” She added, quietly.

“He sounds like the worst.” Bolin said, licking his fingers of marshmallow goo.

“You usually don’t let this stuff get to you, you’ve worked with him before, right? What’s changed?” Mako asked. His s’more was perched perfectly on his knee, wrapped in a napkin to cool down before he ate it, careful to keep any melted chocolate or marshmallow from getting on his clothes.

Asami sighed “I used to work with him when my dad was supervising the team—but ever since he left me in charge, it’s just been one roadblock after another.”  
“Are they jealous that you’re Hiroshi’s daughter maybe?” Bolin ventured, his voice uncertain. He didn’t want to overstep, Korra knew, but there was a good chance it held some truth to it.

She smiled ruefully. “Being the owner’s daughter probably doesn’t help.”

Asami worked hard, often late into the nights, and it was a side of her Korra wished more people saw. Being the daughter of Hiroshi Sato was the reason she was able to be there, but it was her brilliance and work ethic that kept here there.

Korra’s eyes darkened.

“It would be different if she were his son. Guaranteed.” she spat.

Asami had been in the R&D wing for two years now, and had been fighting hard to get her designs sent to production only to have them shot down time and time again.

There was a beat of silence, she met Asami’s eyes across the fire “You work hard, Asami. Your designs are good. He’s just jealous.”

“Thanks.” Asami dipped her head, suddenly bashful. Korra heats up at the glimpse of Asami’s small smile obscured by the curtain of her hair. Her long, pretty hair that smelled like jasmine and coconuts.

Bashful Asami was a sort of new development, honestly Korra didn’t know where it came from, but she did know that she really liked it. It made Korra want to take her into her arms and squeeze her and tell her she deserves the world.

“Men are the worst.” Bolin sighs.

Korra loves Bolin.

“Not all of them.” Korra says, throwing Bolin a grateful smile. He had proud smile and chocolate all over his face and his earnest kindness made Korra want to squeeze him too.

“Yeah, not Bolin.” Asami adds, patting him on the arm and shooting Mako a pointed look. She and Bolin are sitting so close they are sharing an armrest, and Bolin leans into her shoulders, crossing his arms, mirroring Asami’s pose.

“Yeah, not me.” He agrees, eying Mako suspiciously.

“Hey!” Mako pipes, furrowing his brows.

His eyebrows are thick and sharp, and when Korra first met him, she thought they made him look handsome and roguish. Now, after knowing him for several years, she thinks they sort of make him look like an annoyed badger-- and it makes it a little harder to take him seriously.

“I guess you’re okay too.” Korra laughs, rubbing his shoulder vigorously. Sometimes Mako made it too easy.

He pouted, crossing his arms keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

“Not really.” He mumbled.

Maybe this time she went a little to far. She loved him and sometimes (sometimes!) he deserved to be reminded that.

She pouted back at him, drawing his chin up to look her in eyes.

“You’re one of the best people I know and I love and appreciate you. Even if you suck at pool.”

Mako narrowed his eyes. She kissed him on the cheek and scratched behind his ears. It was a joke, but she knew he liked it. She had been surprised to find out how similar he was to a cat, standoffish at times, and clingy at others, (well, maybe not too surprised).

Sometimes dating your friends (awkward as it was), had it’s perks. Like learning their secret ‘fine-I-forgive-you’ buttons.

“All better?” she cooed.

He relented almost immediately.

“How can I possibly refuse such a glowing review.” Mako rolled his eyes, but shot Korra one of his rare, wide smiles before tucking into his s’more.  
Works every time.

Korra feels Asami’s eyes on her and there is a strange look on her face. Something edged, and a little dark, but Korra blinked and it was gone. She must have imagined it.

 

The night wore on, they gorged themselves on sweets and hot dogs and Korra knew she would have to work it all off tomorrow if she had any hope of keeping herself in shape for her Jiu Jitsu match next month. Asami had convinced her to take a break from boxing-- _I don’t want you to mess up your cute nose by breaking it too much_ \--and really, what could Korra do but fumble, and blush, and tell her she’d think about it.  
She joined a new gym the next day.

It was nearing midnight when they decided to turn in. Brushing their teeth by the spigot and promising an early start for tomorrow’s hike. Asami had gone to the showers because she hated having smoke in her hair, _it just makes it feel greasy, ok?_ – and Korra was alone in the tent. Trying desperately to forget that she had kissed Asami three days ago and was now going to be laying next to her.

Alone. In the dark.

Korra gulped. She was determined keep it from being awkward. She and Asami were friends, and sometimes friends kiss when they’re drunk, right? No big deal. People always told stories about kissing their friends when they were in college. What’s a drunken, grope-y make out session between friends?

Korra gulped. It _did_ get pretty heated, though.

It started sweet and innocent, but quickly devolved into something a little more animalistic. Neck biting, hair pulling, and ass grabbing (that was mostly Asami’s doing. She had her hands on Korra’s ass almost the entire time).

Korra gulped, trying to pull her thoughts into less dangerous territory. Like how Asami smelled so nice, like sweet jasmine, and the way she rubbed Korra’s back (before they tore into each other like animals), was so gentle and comforting.

Korra swallowed. _Im in trouble_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps accompanied by a swinging light approaching the tent. Korra took a deep breath and sat up.  
Asami’s face appeared, hair combed and dry, the smell of her shampoo wasting into the tent.

“Need anything before I get in?”

“Oh. No, I’m good.” Korra forced a smile.

Asami climbed in, leaving her boots next to Korra’s and handing the battery lamp for Korra to hold. Korra looked pointedly away as Asami undressed. She saw her toss her bra into the corner of the tent with a relieved sigh.

“Hate those things” she chuckled.

“The worst” Korra said, mouth dry.

Asami leaned into her line of sight with a mischievous grin. She didn’t even seem phased at her state of dress, only covering her bare chest with her arms. Korra was grateful for the shadows cast by the lamp, because she knew her blush would give her away.

“Make our tits look great though.” She winked.

Korra choked. “Asami!”

“It’s just boobs, Korra. Deep breath.” She laughed, turning back to finish changing.

_Yeah, the boobs of the girl I lo—_

She didn’t finish the thought. She couldn’t.

Korra sat frozen until she heard Asami wiggle into her sleeping bag.

“All set?” Korra cringed at the way her voice cracked at the end.

“All set.” Asami affirmed.

Korra switched off the lamp and nestled herself in her sleeping bag, pulling the corner up as far as it would go and tucking her hands between her knees, trying to create as much of a barrier between her and Asami as she could.

“So, what were you doing just sitting in the dark?” Asami asked.

Korra snapped her hear up, “What?”

Asami made a non-committal noise. “Before, when I came in. You were just sitting, staring at the wall.”

“Just thinking.”

“About anything in particular?” Asami asked and Korra could feel her knowing smirk.

Korra’s stomach dropped. They might be about to have this conversation and she was starting to feel like the floor was dropping out from under her.  
“Just the hike tomorrow.”

It came out even and calm but she didn’t have time to celebrate because Asami was studying her intently, and Korra had to maintain a blank look even though she felt like her heart was beating out of chest.

Asami continued looking at her, and then, a small, slow smile.

“I bought hiking boots just for this trip so you better deliver.”

Korra blinked.

For waited for a moment, maybe she was just teasing and was going to jump in with an ‘o _h so you weren’t thinking about our hard make out session the other day_?’ Or maybe tease her about the whimpers Korra definitely let out when Asami squeezed her ass.

She waited, but nothing came.

Asami was looking at her expectantly and it started to sink in that maybe they weren’t going to talk about it after all.  
Pushing down the mix of relief and disappointment bubbling in her chest she managed a playful push to Asami’s shoulder. It felt weak, and shaky, but Asami didn’t seem to notice.

“Just boots? No chair with cup holder armrests or cooler big enough to store a steer?”

Asami scoffed. “Because Bolin’s four can capacity Styrofoam cooler is such a huge help.”

“Hey, that’s one for each of us, you know.”

“Uh-huh, and where would you put your protein shakes that you insisted on bringing?”

Korra nodded gravely. “They are really gross when they’re warm.”

“They are really gross all the time.” Asami laughed.

“The chocolate ones aren’t so bad…” Korra trailed off.

“Whatever you say, muscles.”

The silence that followed was long enough to make Korra think Asami had fallen asleep. She startled at the sound of Asami shifting. She was close now, too close, and tracing her fingers along the stiches in Korra’s sleeping bag.

“I really was looking forward to this trip.”

Korra stiffened. “Oh?”

Asami inched a little closer and Korra could swear her heart was going to jump out of her chest.

“Yeah.” She said, voice quiet. Eyes trained on Korra.

“Me too.”

The air was getting thick with something, and suddenly Korra felt like she couldn’t breathe.

The sound of Asami running her hands along Korra’s sleeping bag was the only thing filling the silence. She could feel Asami’s exhale tickle the hairs on her pillow and it was taking everything Korra had not to close the distance between them.

“Well goodnight!” Korra squeaked, practically thrashing herself to turn to the other side.

There was another long silence before Asami spoke. So quiet Korra almost didn’t hear it. “Goodnight.”

Usually, Korra tossed and turned in her sleep, but she knew tonight she was going to have to fight it. There was no way, she could turn around and risk facing Asami again. So, she resigned herself to a night of discomfort and sore sides.

Miraculously, she was able to fall asleep.

 

 

The morning was cold and damp. Asami let out a puff of air that was, to her horror, visible.

There was no way she was getting out of this sleeping bag until the sun rose enough to warm things up a little. It wasn’t until she reached to pull the extra blanket over her face that she realized she wasn’t alone.

_Korra_

She was lying in a ball against the wall of the tent, burrowed into her sleeping bag. The soft rising and falling of the blankets the only indication she was even in there. Asami felt disappointment well in her chest. Korra had been acting strange since they had all met up for their weekly trivia night at the pub.

Korra barely spoke to her all day yesterday, what interactions they did have were clipped, and cold. It was familiar, almost like how she acted when they first met. Shoulders tense, clear efforts to avoid eye contact. It hurt. By the end of the night though, Korra had started to at least open up a little.

She had no idea what could have gotten Korra so upset—when she thought about what could have happened trivia night, nothing came to mind. Sure, she had gotten a little drunker than she usually did but Korra walked her to the train station like she always did. It was a little hazy but nothing jumped out. Did she get too competitive? Maybe she threw up on Korra’s shoes.

Or maybe it didn’t have anything to do with Asami. It was equally likely that it could have been something that happened at work, or with her folks. There was really no way of knowing unless Korra talked about it, and Asami knew from experience that she shouldn’t press Korra to talk about anything. It was better to let Korra come to _her_ instead.

Despite Korra’s strange mood, Asami was excited to spend the day with her. Doing all kinds of camping stuff--hiking, fire roasted lunch, maybe some stuff with wood? She had no idea what camping was supposed to entail other than s’mores and hiking.

Truthfully, she wasn’t usually much of an outdoors person, not because she didn’t think it wasn’t beautiful--the sunset had been breathtaking--but having to walk all the way to the restrooms every time she had to pee was a little annoying. Not to mention the bugs and the crick in her neck from sleeping on the lumpy ground. Being able to sleep next to Korra was nice, though.

The lump next to her stirred. There was a quiet grumble and then Korra’s head popped squinting and bleary eyed. Her hair was sticking up at all angles, reminding Asami a little bit of Naga; cute and fuzzy.

She watched Korra sit up and rub at her eyes, unbothered by the cold. She didn’t even have goosebumps. Meanwhile Asami was struggling not to chatter her teeth.  
Korra glanced around the tent and froze when she met Asami’s eyes. Silence.

There was no jab about how sensitive Asami was to the cold; no complaining about having to wake up--she _always_ complained about having to wake up. It was strange, and only heightened the sense that there was something wrong.

“Korra?” She hated how uncertain she sounded, but she was uncertain—she didn’t know what was happening with Korra, or why she had been acting so distant. Could she be upset with her? Asami tried to think of something she might have said to upset her but came up empty.

“Oh. hey Asami.”

Her voice was hoarse from sleep. Low and scratchy. Asami felt a shiver at the sound, she loved Korra’s voice. Her morning voice might be her favorite though. There was something intimate about being the first person Korra talked to when she woke up.

“I uh…how did you sleep?” Korra asked, sounding a little uncertain herself.

“Okay,” she didn’t want to mention the crick in her neck or that she felt cold and damp even though she knew she was completely dry, “I’m freezing though, please tell me we don’t have to wake up yet.”

“Asami Sato not wanting to get out of bed? Has the world frozen over?”

There it was. The crooked smile she loved to see so much. She was starting worry she wasn’t going to see it again, but it looked like Korra might be coming back to her.

“It certainly feels like it.” Asami tried to fake a petulant tone but she was too happy to see Korra’s grin that it fell flat.

“How about you? Sleep okay all the way over there?”

Korra immediately stiffened and Asami felt a sinking in her chest.

“Fine. Yeah, slept fine.”

And just like that Korra slipped away again.

“I’m going to head out first. Brush my teeth and get breakfast ready,” Korra wiggled out of her sleeping bag, grabbed her backpack, and stepped out of the tent, “you can stay in bed. I’ll come get you when breakfast is done-- It’ll be warmer then.”

Korra knew how cold she was without having to ask, normally it would make Asami feel warm at how many little things she remembered about Asami, but today it only made her chest ache.

She barely got out a “thanks” before Korra was gone.

Sighing, she buried herself back into her sleeping bag, trying to about anything but the hollowness in her chest.

“Ok so, today we hit the Raccon-bear trail. There's supposed to be waterfall at the top and when I looked online it said its only supposed to be five miles!”

Bolin was practically vibrating in his seat. He had plowed through the bacon and eggs faster than Korra could make them. Asami had let him pick some off her plate, unable to resist the longing looks he kept giving her.

“That’s ten miles, Bolin. How much of it is uphill?” Mako asked. He sounded like he knew the answer to the question before he asked it—everyone did.  
“Well…I didn’t check that part.”

There was a collective groan and Bolin had the decency to look sheepish. “It can’t be that bad! We can do it.”

Mako sighed from his place on the picnic table. He had opted to eat at the table, no doubt wanting to keep from getting eggs on his well pressed thermal.  
It was comforting having someone else who was a little conscious about their clothes. Korra and Bolin were so unconcerned with their appearance that it sometimes made Asami feel a little self-conscious, like she cared too much about her appearance. But having Mako there helped to remind that she wasn’t strange, they were just chaotic dirtballs. Cute, muscular, roguish dirtballs.

“It’ll be a good workout!” Korra chirped, looking up from her spot squatting by the fire. Asami smiled seeing Korra use the coat hanger grill she had constructed yesterday, holding the handle of the cast iron pan while partially resting it on its surface.

“This was supposed to be relaxing weekend, remember? Walking up hill both ways is not relaxing.”

Korra scoffed. “C’mon Mako, didn’t you say you’ve been stuck on desk duty all week? Don’t you want to get those legs moving?”

“Yeah ‘gotta keep it tight for Wu.” Bolin chimed.

For a moment, everything stopped. The sounds of the forest--birds, breeze and leaves, faded to the background. Even the campfire didn’t seem to be crackling.  
Bolin looked at Mako, panicked.

“For that Wu Shu match you have! The uh, the one next week, was it?” Bolin tried to save it, but there was no turning back now.  
Mako looked like he wanted to puke.

“No its—its ok Bolin.” He sighed, head in his hands, “I guess I have to…well I mean its not like I could really keep it forever. Its just uh. You know--”

“--I am too.” Korra interrupted, not looking up from the pan. She so fast, Asami wasn’t sure she heard it right. It sounded like she just--

“I'm bi too" Korra coughed, “I mean, you know, if that’s what you are too.”

_No way._

There was another long silence. Asami’s eyes were trained on Korra, who was kneeling, stone-still over the fire.

“Wait, so you’re bi?” Mako asked.

“Yeah.” She said, not looking up.

Asami was running in over drive. The girl, the straight girl, she had been pining after for the better part of two years has just come out as bisexual and suddenly Asami’s entire world was tearing itself apart. All the things she had spent nights dreaming of, Korra holding her, wrapping her arms around her waist and running her hands through her hair, all things that were filed under never, were suddenly thrown into the realm of maybe and she was dizzy with it. There wasn’t a thing in the world, hurricanes and tsunami’s be damned, that could get Asami to take her eyes off Korra right now.

She was hunched over the fire scratching at her chin, steadfastly avoiding eye contact. The bacon she had been cooking was long past burnt (Asami could smell it from here), but Korra kept poking at it anyways. Korra was trying desperately to keep her cool and Asami wanted to run over and hug her.

 

_Or kiss her._

 

Mako cleared his throat. “Yeah. I think that’s what I am.”

Asami was a little surprised to hear it, although the more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense. Things she had written off as flukes were now glaringly obvious clues that she couldn’t believe she had missed.

“YOU GUYS!” Bolin squealed, loud enough to scare a flock of birds from the trees.

He rushed over to Korra with such force that she dropped the pan into the fire. She looked like she was about to protest but was cut by a bone crushing hug.  
“This is the best news I’ve ever heard—Im so happy for you! This is going to be so awesome, you guys have to tell us everything!—“ then he seemed to catch himself, eyes widening in panic, “Shit! I mean not that I have to hear it or anything! You’re totally entitled to your privacy.”

He was speaking so fast Asami had a hard time catching it all.

Korra made a strained sound, her face starting to turn red, “Boling—I cant-"

His hands flew off her “Ohmygod I’m so sorry!” he rushed.

“No, it’s—it’s cool.” She said, running her hands through her hair. She was sitting, legs splayed on the ground, Bolin squatting next to her, looking frantic.  
“Korra Im so sorry, I didn’t mean to almost kill you!”

“Bolin! Its fine, really,” she said, patting his knee, “I’m used to your bear hugs by now.”

Bolin let out a sigh of relief, and shifting to sit on his knees. Korra was rubbing circles on his shoulder.

  
“I wish I knew sooner,” he said quietly, “I wish I could have helped more. You know, if you were scared or anything I just—” she shook his head, a little misty eyed, “I’m sorry Korra.” He finished.

“It’s okay, Bolin. Its um…kind of new.” She said through a shaky laugh, as though she couldn’t quite believe it herself.

Korra glanced at Asami so quickly that she almost missed it. There was a strange look on her face that gave Asami pause, but before she could really process what it meant she realized with sudden jolt that she hadn’t said anything yet.

Here were Korra and Mako, coming out to them, and she hadn’t said a word! But God, she had to say it again—Korra was bi too.

She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Bolin, apparently recovered from his guilt ridden slump.

“So, new huh? Anyone special?” Bolin asked, wiggling his eye brows.

Asami froze. Her heart in her mouth. The thought of Korra with another woman, casually draping an arm over her chair, toying idly with the end of her hair, or surprising her at work with her _super fancy macchiato green tea maccha_ thing-- made her practically ill.

“No one in particular.” She mumbled.

_Oh thank goodness._

She let out a breath, shoulders sagging with relief.

In the silence that followed, Asami steeled herself for what she knew she had to do. Her friends had just laid themselves bare and would never forgive herself if she let them do it alone.

She had to tell them; chances like this didn’t come by every day and although it terrified her to think that Korra was both the first and _last_ person she wanted to tell. She was her best friend, and she had wanted to confide in her for so long, but she was afraid that if Korra knew she was bisexual then it was only a matter of time before she figured out Asami had feelings for her. She didn’t know what would happen after that; the idea of Korra trying to put distance between them to spare Asami’s feelings, she couldn’t bare it.

Korra thinking she was straight was the only defense she had for her occasional slip ups. The times she would cling to Korra after a couple of glasses of wine, the times she held onto their hugs for just a _little_ too long. It was so hard to control herself around Korra. Brave, clueless Korra. The girl made of mischief, kindness and one hell of a left hook. The girl whose earnest warmth stole her heart.

If she got caught, then so be it.

She knew she had to do this. She had to tell them.

Deep breath. She can do this.

“Since we are on the topic….” She said, inspecting her nails and trying sounded calm, “I might as well throw my hat in too.”

There was a long silence.

“’Throw your hat in? What do you mean?” Mako ventured. She could almost see the gears working in his head.

“Asami, are you saying…?”

Not trusting her voice, she just stared back at Mako, hoping he would take the hint.

Then, Bolin “Asami, are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Super serious?”

“Mmhm.”

“Super-duper-no-joke-serious—”

“—Bolin!” Mako interrupted, “We have established that she is serious.”

“I have to say,” Bolin said, rubbing his chin in thought, “I’m feeling a little left out, here.”

Asami laughed, Bolin’s thought process always managed to be a pleasant surprise.

She didn’t dare look at Korra. Whatever look would be on Korra’s face she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Just then, Asami was hit by the smell of very burnt bacon. Korra seemed to realize it too as leapt to get the pan, grabbing the handle, seeming to forget how long it had been sitting in the fire. She yelped and stumbled backwards, clutching her hands.

Without thinking, Asami rushed over, taking Korra’s hands in hers. Hoping Korra’s flinch was because of the burn and not Asami’s confession.

“Are you okay? Here let me see.”

“Im fine, Asami. Its not that bad.” She grumbled. Korra’s hands were an angry red and she winced when Asami ran a finger across her palm.

Korra’s hands were an angry red and she winced when Asami ran a finger across her palm.

Asami ignored her, there was no time for Korra’s tough-girl act, “We should run these under some water.”

“I’ll be okay.” Korra said, looking pointedly at the ground.

“Korra, you just grabbed a metal pan out a fire we need to take care of it.” She admonished. There was no way she was going to let Korra ignore what could be a second-degree burn. They still had the whole weekend and leading around a whimpering Korra was, although cute, not how she imaged the weekend going.  
“Korra.” She fixed Korra with a stern look and there was a moment when she looked like she would protest, but seemed to think better of it. There were rarely any arguments when Asami used her ‘no-nonsense’ parent voice. It didn’t always work, but--

“Fine.” Korra said, a letting out a defeated sigh.

\--it always worked on Korra.

She gave Asami one last imploring look, but was met with unamused silence. “Lead the way.” She gestured vaguely and rolling her eyes. She probably thought Asami didn’t see it, but she did, and when Asami gave her an admonishing glare Korra ducked her head, and mumbled what sounded like a sorry.

Satisfied, Asami helped her up and led a very grumpy Korra to the water spigot a couple campsites away.

“Ok, it might be a little too cold but we’ll have to deal,” she warned, “so just hold them under as long as you can, okay?”

Korra eyed the stream of water warily before she stuck her hands under. Asami watched her wince but she didn’t move. She hunched next to Korra, rubbed circles on her back.

“You’re doing great,” she soothed, “how does it feel?”

“Fantastic.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Keep them there for awhile, I know it hurts, but it will help.”

“Sorry” she amended.

The apology felt heavy, like it held more than just this moment. Korra was starting to poke her head from her shell and Asami didn’t want to risk scaring her; no matter how badly she wanted to understand what was going on with her.

“Its okay that your hand hurts, Korra. You don’t always have to play the tough girl. Especially when you’re around me. I hope you know that.”

“No I mean for—”

“Snapping at me?" Asami finished. Shooting Korra a pointed look. 

Korra deflated.

 

She was starting to withdraw again and Asami didnt want to let her go just yet--

"Its okay, I know its because it hurts," Asami amended. She wanted to add more--to ask Korra why she had been so cold, why she had been aovifing her, but that could wait until later,"especially since you have what I am starting to suspect is a nasty second-degree burn.”

There was a moment of deliberation, Korra looking between her and the spray of water, rushing out of the spigot.

“Ok. It hurts then.”

"I know." Asami said, softly.

"Thanks." Korra said through a shy smile.

  
“Does little baby Korra want me to kiss it better?”

Korra flushed.

“Asami!” she sputtered. “I thought you said—”

“—I couldn’t resist!” She snickered. Korra was squirming and Asami had to wrap her arms around her to keep her from moving away from the stream.  
“I’m sorry, I know you hate it when I baby you.” She said, her chin resting over Korra’s shoulder.

“Its fine.” She huffed.

_You love it_

They were quiet for a moment, only the sound of the water slapping against the packed dirt.

Gently, Asami took Korra’s hands in hers, drawing them closer to inspect them “Here, lets see them.”

Korra’s back was practically flush against her. She could feel how solid Korra was under her flimsy shirt, (one of Asami’s favorites), the dark blue Henley with the missing top-button. It hugged the swell of her shoulders in a way that made Asami’s mouth water, showing the swell and dips of her muscles—and the missing button kept it open at the chest, giving a peek of Korra’s pretty collar bones and tanned skin.

She thought she felt Korra lean into her but she knew must be imagining it.

“They look okay. I don’t see any blistering so that’s good.”

“So, we’re done?” Korra asked. She sounded flustered, and Asami didn’t know what to make of it.

“Well I would like to put some ointment on them.”

“Nooo I hate that stuff.” Korra whined, “It feels so gross.”

Asami turned Korra around to face her, “A little discomfort now will save a lot—

“—of discomfort later. I know.” Korra finished for her, rolling her eyes.

Asami smiled.

“Exactly.”

They heled each other’s gaze for a moment.

“Fine.” She sighed, defeated once again.

“My, what a cooperative patient I have today! Maybe I should feed you Naga’s weight in s’mores every night if this is what it turns you into.”  
Korra’s eyes softened, “Into what, a whiny, burned mess?”

“Into a whiney, burned mess that listens to me.”

Korra rolled her eyes and Asami gave her a teasing pat on the cheek.

Asami turned the water spigot off, feeling a little guilty for having it running for so long—she figured doing one fourth the suggested fifteen minutes was compromise enough. She probably couldn’t have kept Korra much longer anyway. Although she was being surprisingly cooperative; maybe she was feeling guilty about how she acted earlier.

“Uh, Asami?”

She turned to see Korra, eyes on the ground, scratching at her neck. Something about Korra’s nervous habits were so painfully endearing to Asami that she could hardly stand it.

Maybe it was in the contrast; that the girl with the ever-confident lopsided grin could also be a bashful, blushing, doe eyed rabbit.  
A bashful, blushing doe-eyed rabbit with a rippling back and rock-solid thighs.

“Yes?”

Asami leaned forward, her eyes a little foggy. It was hard not to let her imagination run wild when Korra was standing right in front of her shuffling her feet and looking too cute than anyone really had the right to be.

“Thanks.”

“For taking care of me.” Korra said, averting her eyes.

_Cute._

“And for--” she let out a sort of half-laugh, looking up at Asami with bright, tender eyes, “you know, for being you.”

She closed her eyes, trying to commit to memory the way Korra had just said ‘for being you.’ It was quiet, almost a whisper, and the grateful, almost reverent way she said it made Asami’s heart flip.

Asami knew Korra was trying to reach out, however tentatively.

_I’m sorry_ they said.

Maybe she didn’t care about Asami the way she hoped, and maybe the sorry wasn’t enough to mend the way Korra had acted, but for now, with Korra looking at her like that, hesitant and hopeful, how could she refuse?

She held Korra’s gaze.

Asami wanted to be angry, she should be angry but she couldn’t find it in herself to hold onto it.

  
“Who else would I be?” she said softly.

Korra dipped her head in relief, laughing “The best friend anyone could ask for?”

“Mm. That too.” Asami nodded.

Korra’s smile was growing, relied clear on her face, and you know what? Maybe Asami didn’t need to make it that easy.

Maybe she could make her sweat a little. It was only fair.

“What else?” She fixed Korra with an expectant stare. The one she used when trying to intimidate a board member into giving her what she wanted.

Korra swallowed.

“You’re um, “she started, her eyes looking everywhere but at Asami, “You’re really helpful and nice.”

“And?”

“A mechanical genius.”

“And?”

Korra looked at her, pained, “and you’re super smart, super thoughtful, super pretty and I don’t deserve you!”

Asami put on a bored look, inspecting her nails.

“And?”

She glanced up to see the moment of realization dawn on Korra, “You’re teasing!”

“So?”

Korra gave her a pleading look, but Asami wasn’t ready to stop.

Korra groaned, “Okay, okay— you ride motorcycles which is really cool, you work really hard and are like, the most capable and reliable person in the world and you have the nicest hair and always smell good and you’re so, _so_ pretty, and—” Korra squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed, “—and can I please stop now?”

“I don’t know, you’re kind of on a roll.” Asami drawled.

Korra let out a high-pitched whine.

“Fine.”

“Thank you.” She breathed.

“I think you forgot to mention ‘incredibly good at giving gifts’.”

“Asami!” Korra stomped her foot and it made Asami’s heart melt a little.

“Just a little light teasing.” She said, moving to tuck some of Korra’s hair behind her hear. Her hair was almost long enough to put in a ponytail again.  
“I think we have different definitions of ‘light’ teasing.” Korra’s tone was tired, but she preened under Asami’s touch.

“I think we both know you had it coming.”

“Yeah.”

Korra was quiet for a moment, “I'm sorry, Asami.”

“You hurt my feelings, Korra.”

“I know.”

“A lot.”

“I know.”

Asami studied her for a moment. Korra’s sleeves were wet all the way to the elbow, her hair was frizzy and there was a smudge of ash on her cheek but she still looked so, so beautiful. Korra’s beauty was so different than Asami’s—where Asami was city nights, swooping dresses and smoky eyes, Korra was the morning sun; fresh, and bright, and buzzing with _life_.

Korra wasn’t looking at her, and it was making her heart sink.

“Was it something I said?” Asami hated how small she sounded.

Korra blanched “what? No! Asami, no way, not at all!”

“Then what is it?”

“Its nothing. Just work, you know?”

Asami didn’t believe it for a second. There was no way Korra’s mood didn’t have anything to do with her—the avoiding, the snapping, it was all directed at Asami, and although Korra had told her it wasn’t something she did, she couldn’t help but worry. It had hurt and he wanted to know why, but she knew that Korra liked to deal with things in her own time, and pushing her would only make her retreat further.

“Well, I’m here if you want to talk about it, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks Asami.”

“How’s your hand, ready to head back and start that hike?”

Korra’s big grin made Asami’s heart swell.

“Let’s do it.”

A warm relief was seeping into her chest: she had her Korra back.

Now all she had to do was survive a hike through the wildness that Bolin (who couldn't even remember half the things on the grocery list) had planned.

Maybe if she walked behind Korra she could at least stare at her--

"You coming Asami?"

"Yes!" she squeaked.

 

You can do this Sato.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates take a little longer 'cuz I have to get up early and write before work. Its like the only time of the day I have to myself, lately I've been a stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off type of busy, heh. But not to worry! I'll keep 'em coming cuz this is fun. So, thank you for your patience =D

  _Im going to kill Bolin_

It was an hour into the hike when ‘ _how hard could it be?’_  turned into an ‘ _I guess I should have done my research,’_ and though Korra was doing okay ( _was_ pretty fit), she could see that her friends were fading fast. Hiking took a different kind of muscle group and she had to admit that she was starting to hurt in places she hadn’t used since her summer camp days.

“I think we should take a break.”

“Just one more hill, I think we’re almost halfway! We can do it.”

“Mako’s right, Bolin. We need to conserve our energy. There is no sense in killing ourselves when we don’t even know how far up the path we are.” Asami was already sitting down, digging into her pack for one of their shared water bottles.

“I thought hiking was supposed to be relaxing.” Mako groaned.

“Nature has a way of reminding you who’s really in charge,” Korra laughed.

“Nature has a way of destroying my calves.” Asami mumbled. Korra watched as Asami rubbed her calves over her pants, wincing when she hit a knot.

“Nature also has a way of building the nicest butts!”

“Asami doesn’t need nature to help her with that.” Korra chimed, then, realizing her slip rushed to back track. “I mean none of us do really.” She said, trying for non-chalance.

“Except Mako I guess.” Asami said. Her smug smile telling Korra the comment didn’t go unnoticed.

_Shit._

“I definitely got the better end of those genes.” Bolin gloated, patting his but for emphasis. Korra heard Asami snort from where she was sitting.

Mako didn’t seem to have the energy to fight back, instead splaying on the ground and letting out a long-suffering sigh. Bolin went to rest against tree, and Korra took the opportunity to explore the little landing they had found themselves on.

The trees had begun thinning as they climbed higher, the shallow rocky dirt giving way to brush and shortgrass, they had found a spot that held enough shade that they could rest comfortably.

Korra pushed through gnarled brush to a spot that allowed her to hand her legs over a cliff and gaze down at the land below. Taking a sip of the water she had stuffed into her bag she let her mind wander.

_Asami is bi too_

The casual way she had revealed it had shocked Korra. Her tone was comfortable, mundane, almost. Which could mean that maybe, just maybe, it was something Asami had known for some time.

The thought made Korra’s chest tighten uncomfortably. If Asami had known she was bi, and then kissed Korra, did that mean she was interested in her?

_Being bi doesn’t mean you run around kissing everyone_ , she reasoned. Maybe it was more for fun; like something drunk friends did, and Asami being bi was more just a coincidence.

Korra’s mind was reeling. Suddenly, a door appeared where there was once a wall; and it was going to be a lot harder to try and ignore her feelings if she knew that she had a chance.

Korra startled at the rustling behind her. The sign at the start of the trail had warned of mountain lions, and here she was sitting at the edge of a cliff with a bag of food.

_Keep eye contact and back away slowly_

Korra scrambled to get into a crouch. There was nowhere to back into, and if she wanted to get out of this alive she would have to try and move sideways, the cliff at her back. She glanced behind her; it was a long way down.

Another rustle. Korra took a steadying breath.

“Korra?”

Asami emerged from behind a brush, plucking a dried branch off her sleeve and froze when she saw Korra crouched, wild eyed.

“Woah. You okay?”

“Jesus, Asami you scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry! I just didn’t know where you went off to and I got worried.” She said, eyeing Korra, who was now collapsed, face down in the dirt, trying to calm herself from what she thought was going to be a fight to the death, which would, (most likely) have ended up being hers.

Korra let out a muffled groan, “I thought you were a mountain lion!”

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t think of that!” It was very clear that Asami was trying to hold back a laugh, “I guess I should have called out or something.”.

“You city slickers.” Korra sighed, exasperated. She would have to go over a couple of wilderness rules with everyone if she wanted to get through this trip without another scare like that.

That is, if she could ever get heart out of her mouth.

“So, you were getting ready to fight a mountain lion?”

“If I had to! There is no where for me to back up, the only escape would have been toward it.”

“Oh.”

 The fine, dusty dirt had found its way into her nose but she didn’t care.

“Yeah.” 

“Are mountain lions scared of granola?”

Korra picked her head up, “What?”

“Well you were holding that granola bar in front of you like a knife.”

Korra furrowed her brows, realizing that she was indeed still holding onto the granola bar.

“Oh. Instinct, I guess?”

Asami held Korra’s gaze for a moment before bursting into loud, unconstrained laughter.

Korra sat up, indignant, “I just forgot I was holding it! You would have too if you thought there was a mountain lion about to tear your head off.”

Asami moved to sit next to Korra, laying still splayed out on the ground, chin resting in the dirt and looking sour.

“I’m sorry.” She said, rubbing Korra’s back affectionately, “but you have to admit it was pretty funny.”

Korra wanted to be mad but all she could think about was how nice it felt to have Asami’s hands on her like that. Soothing and sweet.

 “I’d like to see what you would have done, miss super genius.” Korra grumbled.

“Something totally genius, of course.” She replied, shrugging her shoulders, then, looking down at Korra with an amused sort of smirk, “Or maybe just peed my pants.”

Korra let out a sharp laugh, “That would be too bad. Your pants are really nice.” Korra reached out to tug at the ankle of Asami’s pants, leaving a dusty hand print.

“Well they _are_ waterproof.” Asami replied, eyes flashing. “But I don’t think they’re mountain lion proof.”

“We’ll have to tell L.L bean to get right on that.” Korra joked.They stayed like that for a moment. Content to just be near each other. “That feels nice.” Korra hummed. “It does.” Asami agreed and then there was another moment—it felt full of something; something felt unsaid, but it passed.

“We should get back. Think you’ve recovered enough from your standoff to get up?”

Korra stood, hefting her bag back onto her shoulder but paused when she noticed Asami starting at her, amusement clear on her face.

“…what?”

“You look like you’ve been working the mines all day.”

She was _covered_ in a dusty, dry dirt; her hair, her clothes, even in her _nose_. Korra groaned, starting to rub the dirt from her face and sleeves.

 Suddenly, Asami was on her, stopping Korra’s hands “Here, let me.” She ruffled Korra’s hair, dust flying out in every direction, before patting down her shoulders and sleeves. 

“Korra the Brave. Legend has it she defeated a mountain lion with just a cliff bar.”

“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“Nope.” Asami replied, dropping to her knees, running her hands up and down Korra’s legs and Korra felt her face heat up trying not to think about Asami, on her knees, hair tied up, face buried between Korra’s legs.

“--Okay! Think you got it all!” Her voice cracked but she didn’t care. This was getting into dangerous territory and she needed to get away.

“but you’re still—”

“—Fine! All good.” Korra interrupted, turning on her heels and stomping towards the path “This mountain isn’t going to hike itself!” She called.

 

* * *

 

The afternoon sun was beating down making everything feel almost oven-baked and Korra found herself wishing she brought a hat. She could feel her shirt sticking to her back and, though this wasn’t the nice medium level hike she had anticipated, she was happy to get the exercise. At least the exertion kept her from focusing on the alluring way Asami’s hair was sticking to her neck.

“At least the view is pretty.” Bolin panted from behind her.

_So pretty_

“Hard to notice when I’ve got sweat dripping into my eyes.” Mako said. His earlier irritation had melted into a resigned sort of humor after Bolin had come across a rather larger spider that nearly sent him hurling off the side of the mountain. Apparently Korra and Asami spending the better part of minutes tag teaming Bolin’s child-like screech, was pay back enough Bolin’s planning fuckup.

 

“Among other places.” Asami called. She was a few steps ahead of them, and Korra was trying to shake the image of Asami sprawled out on her bed, naked and dripping, recovering from a different kind of exercise.

 

_“I don’t think Asami sweats” Bolin said, panting._

_It was after hours at Korra’s gym, where they usually met before heading to trivia night, and Mako was running late. Asami had suggested a friendly sparring competition while they wait—'since you have to clean the mats anyway’—she had said, ‘why not get a free drink out of it?’_

_“Oh, I sweat.” Asami said, eyes taking on a dangerous smolder. “You just need to get me a little more excited.”_

_“I think that can be arranged.”  Korra said, stepping onto the mats._

_“Is that so? Do you know anyone?” Asami bent forward, sighing into a long stretch and laughing at Korra’s scoff.  “Well I guess you’ll do for now.” she said straightening up. “Just know I won’t go easy on you—I want that free drink.”_

_“I love a challenge.” Korra said, taking her stance._

_“I know you do.”_

 

Korra had lost almost instantly. The half-lidded gaze Asami short her had broken her concentration, allowing Asami the split second she needed to shoot through Korra’s legs for a side-ways take down. Korra had laid there shocked, Asami on top of her, gazing down at her with a smug smile, her long black hair forming a curtain around them. That had been the first of three, and by the time Mako had arrived Asami had won an entire night’s worth of free drinks. They had left for the pub, Asami hanging on Korra’s arm, “ _Guess I’m not as exciting as I thought,” she laughed, “Looks like you’ll have to get your kicks somewhere else, Sato.” Her wounded pride had taken back seat to arousal after the Asami managed to pin Korra by getting her in a tight mount position._

_Asami had leaned into her then, breath tickling Korra’s ears,_ “ _Oh, you’re plenty exciting.” She purred._

 

Korra faltered, sending a spray of rocks and dirt directly into Mako’s eyes. She turned to apologize, but was met with a panicked, sputtering Mako.

“I can’t see!” He shouted, and in his attempt to regain his footing, grabbed Korra’s ankle, ripping her from her spot and sending them both tumbling down, knocking Bolin over on the way down.

They landed in a pile of limbs and backpacks and groans; their fall mostly broken by patch of grey-green brush.

“Mako, you asshole!” Korra burst out, shoving Mako off her.

“How is this _my_ fault— _you’re_ the one who almost kicked me in the face!” Mako tried to sit up but was jerked back down, the straps of his backpack catching on someone’s foot.

“What!? You grabbed my ankle! What kind of _moron_ —”

“ _I’m_ the moron? You tripped first, you weren’t even paying attention,” he scolded, then twisting to try and sit up again, “ _Jesus_ , Korra can you get your foot out of my bag?” Mako

“—Oh for” Korra rolled her eyes, ripping her leg away and brining Mako and his backpack jerking along with it.

There was a choked sound coming from above them; they looked up to see Asami at the top, hunched over, laughing so hard there was hardly any sound coming out. 

“I’m glad you guys are okay.” She was practically wheezing, and Korra didn’t think she had ever seen her laugh so hard.

She and Mako exchanged glances trying to take in the ever composed Asami, always dressed to kill—with heels and skirts and immaculate blouses, rolling around on the ground laughing so hard she was crying. Then, Bolin let out a muffled ‘I’m okay’ beneath them, suddenly they were laughing just as hard.

Miraculously they had all come out of it fairly unscathed; save for a few scrapes and scratches. Asami was inspecting their faces, still letting out the occasional laugh.

Korra let out a long exhale, “I think I need a beer.” Two near death experiences in under an hour had zapped her of any reserve energy she might have had to keep going.  

“Second.” Bolin called, slumped against a rock, pouring water over his face.

“Yeah. I could use one.” Mako added.

Asami took Korra’s face into her hands wiping dirt off her cheek with her thumb, “I think you’ve earned one or two.” She said, grinning.

The walk back was a little easier, but she noticed everyone taking lighter steps and checking grips more often than they did on the way up.

 

By the time the got back to camp, the sky was a deep orange and starting to blend with the purple-blue hues of the early evening.

“I could sleep for a hundred years.” Bolin said, collapsing into a folding chair.

“I could use a shower.” Asami said, peeling off her jacket and wrinkling her nose.

“Yeah, we should all go.” Mako agreed, “Its an off time, so we should be able to get right in.”

“Can’t we rest for a minute?” Bolin complained. “I’m soooo tired.”

“I wonder why.” Mako deadpanned, “What, you didn’t _plan_ on a five-hour uphill hike?”

“For the millionth time, I said I was sorry!” Bolin whined, “I’m really tired, can we skip the showers for now? Please?”

“No.” Mako and Asami replied, together.

Korra watched on as Bolin let out a dramatic sigh, slinking over to the tent to collect his toiletries, grumbling about not making Mako breakfast after he pulls all-nighters any more.

“Its more for us than it is for him.” Asami chuckled. She hadn’t noticed Asami standing next to her; the dark red lip stick she always wore was faded, and her hair was frizzy from the days hike, but she still looked as beautiful as Korra had ever seen her.

“Ready to hit the showers, champ?” Asami asked. Twisting in a stretch that drew Korra’s eyes right to the swell of her chest.

Korra gulped. _Not really._

“Lead the way, coach.” She replied.

 

* * *

 

Asami didn’t get nervous often; growing up in the business world had trained that out of her. Yet Korra always threw her off. Boardrooms, hostile takeovers and cut-throat competitors never managed to shake her quite as much as Korra could.

She sighed, letting the hot stream of water wash away all the tension in her muscles. Thinking about Korra in the shower often led to certain…thoughts. After having an orgasm in the shower to thoughts of Korra naked, and wet, and _steaming_ she had decided to set some ground rules.

No imagining water running down the dips of her muscles and over her bulging thighs; no thoughts of her warm brown skin made soft in the steam of the shower, and no thoughts —and this was important – thoughts of her naked breasts, wet and warm, and how her ass would look finally, _finally_ out of the confines her jeans that always hugged her so perfectly.

_Oh Jesus_

Usually she did pretty well, thinking instead of work, or the perfect thing she could have said to that jerk she worked with that would make him shut up once and for all, but having Korra a few stalls away was making it a lot harder to keep her imagination under control.

Especially when she thought of how sweet Korra sounded when she had told Asami how nice it felt to have her rub her back. Well, and that one-time Korra flirted, well, ‘flirted’ may not be a strong enough word; it was more like a mini confession. Asami held onto it, because in Korra she saw such beauty. She saw a bold, thrumming energy that could only be described as a _force of nature_ , and a difficulty with expressing her feelings (which was as cute as it was frustrating), and now, after all this time, there was also a _maybe._  

_“I think I ripped my shirt—how can one bush have so many thorns?”_

_“I think those are raspberries, all the thorns are supposed to keep animals from eating the berries.” Asami observed, helping Bolin brush off thorns and leaves. “Well it definitely works.” Bolin muttered._

_“Looks like the birds haven’t gotten to them yet either. That’s pretty rare.” Korra added, moving to inspect the tangled brush. “The must have just ripened.” She said, popping one into her mouth, and humming at the taste._

_“Good?” Asami chucked, and Korra offered the ones she had picked. The juice from the berries leaving red-ish stains on her hands. “You tell me.” She said, smirking._

_They were soft and soggy with a sweet, heavy juice; nothing like the ones you found in the grocery store, and Asami couldn’t help but close her eyes and hold them in her mouth, letting the taste wash over her. “Wow. I think these are the best raspberries I’ve ever had.”_

_“No kidding.” Mako echoed, picking through the bush and popping some in his mouth._

_Korra was already shoulder deep in the bushes, paying no mind to the thorny branches as she collected as many as she could hold. “Korra! What are you doing? You’re going to get all scratched up!”_

_“Don’t forget you’re talking to the mighty Korra! A little thing like thorns aren’t going to stop me.” She called, head popping out of the bushes looking more confident than Asami wanted her to be while completely surrounded by branches completely covered in thorns._  


_“Fine, but don’t expect me to patch you up.”_

_“No need, I’ve got skin of steel!” Korra’s voice was coming from somewhere entirely different and Asami couldn’t understand how fast that girl was able to move through the needle-like branches._

_It wasn’t long before Bolin dove in too, leaving Mako and Asami standing at the edge, rolling their eyes. “Why are they like this?” Mako laughed, both exasperated and amused, “It’s like they have no understanding of limitations.”_

_“They don’t.” Asami agreed. “It’s cute though.” She regretted it as soon as she said it because Mako was looking at her strangely, and although Asami had always admired Mako’s ambitions, he had been working towards becoming a detective, staying late and making sure reports were just right –she now she found herself wishing he wanted to be a zoologist instead._

_Mako looked like she was about to say something, but was interrupted by Korra, leaping out the bushes completely covered in scratches, a lopsided grin, looking entirely too pleased with herself. She had pulled up the bottom of her shirt to hold the rather sickening amount of raspberries. Her forearms were stained completely red, and her face was covered in tiny scratches. Asami would have though she was in pain were it not for her beaming smile._

_“Oh my God, Korra! You’re a mess!” Asami exclaimed just as Bolin burst out from behind her, looking in very much the same state as Korra. She heard a defeated sigh next to her and then Mako trudging up to Bolin, tilting his face to inspect the damage._

_Asami directed her gaze over to Korra. Her shoulders were squared and she was looking adorably proud of herself, “I’m not going to help you clean up.” Asami admonished, folding her arms. She wanted to—she really did, but she had to at least pretend she wouldn’t do anything for this reckless girl that she was so endlessly fond of. She had to pretend she had limits when it came to Korra, even though she didn’t. she really didn’t._

_“No need! I’m a big girl.” Korra laughed, approaching Asami with a cocky grin, “Here. For you.”_

_“These are for me.” Asami said, eyebrow quirked, and eyeing Korra’s armful of berries warily._

_“Yeah, you said they were the best you’ve ever had. So, here. Now you can eat as many as you want.”_

_A wave of affection rushed through Asami and she swore she was falling in love all over again. She looked up to see Korra, hair a total mess and with an excited smile, bouncing on her toes waiting for Asami’s reaction. How could anyone not love this girl?_

_“Will you hold them for me? I don’t want to get any on my shirt.” Asami said slowly._

_“Totally! Don’t want to mess up your snazzy looks.” She said, wiggling her eyebrows, her lopsided grin growing impossibly wider when Asami popped a handful in her mouth. This girl was just too cute. “Asami Sato, eating an entire handful at a time? You really do like these.”_

_Asami rolled her eyes, her blush taking away any of the bite the gesture might have had, “Well I don’t want to make you stand there all day.” She said, and she knew she was blushing-- but she couldn’t help it, Korra was showering her with thoughtfulness and attention and there was no way she could hide how much she just adored this girl._

_“I don’t mind, I’d wait forever for you, Asami.” Korra said, and Asami’s eyes snapped back up. It was Korra’s turn to blush, “Uh, that is. I mean if you wanted. Not like that or anything. Like friends—cuz we’re friends. Best friends.” Korra was stumbling and Asami couldn’t help but feel impossibly pleased that she could affect Korra like this, “You’re totally my best friend Asami and I would do anything for you.” She finished, eyes trained on the ground._

_It felt like a confession. Sure, she said they were ‘best friends’ but Asami couldn’t help but think that Korra was starting to see her as a little more. Afterall, here she was, covered in cuts from collecting berries for her, blushing, and telling her she would do anything for her. It was different than Korra’s joking flirtations. And it was making Asami’s heart feel too big for her chest._

_“Same here Korra.” Asami said, trying to pour all her feelings into it. Korra was standing there, confessing these tender, deep feelings for her (whether she meant to or not), and Asami had to let her know she felt the same. She wanted to say more, and although Korra had smiled at her gratefully, she was starting to look nervous; like the moment was getting strange and heavy and she wasn’t ready for it._

_“Except maybe dive into a sea of thorn bushes.” It was the right thing to say because Korra relaxed immediately and the rest of the hike went back to laughing and joking, as though it had never happened, although Asami was determined to revisit it later._

Standing in the shower, she thought of how she caught Korra staring at her ass as they made their way to bathrooms. Korra had quickly looked away, but Asami didn’t miss the hungry look in her eyes. She could blame her though, (Korra’s ass certainly did something for _her_ ), and although Korra had scurried past her before Asami could so much as tease her, she couldn’t help but think maybe this would be a good opportunity to push Korra a little bit.

_Just a little._

 

* * *

 

Korra scowled at the raspberry stains covering her arms. Her furious scrubbing was doing nothing to clear her skin—her irritation rising with every passing minute. She had wanted to get out of the showers as quickly as possible, hoping to avoid seeing a half-naked Asami, dripping with water, and wearing only a towel. The image alone was hard enough to manage. Seeing it in real life would be a disaster.

“Everything okay over there?” Asami called, her voice muffled by the sound of running water.

“Yeah, its just these stupid raspberry stains. They won’t come off.”

The sound of Asami’s laughter, light and airy, echoed through the room. “You’re need to use something stronger than just your body wash if you want to get it off. Here, I’ve got something that will do the trick. Just a sec—I’ll bring it to you.”

“N-no! Its fine! You don’t have to.” Korra squeaked. Panicking, she searched for something, _anything_ she could say to keep Asami from coming any closer. There was no way she was going to be able to handle Asami so close—catching a glimpse was going to be hard enough, but being able to see the swell of her breasts, the way the towel hugged her hips, her hair sticking her face and neck, to see _every_ drop of water covering her soft, smooth skin. She had to think of a way out of this, and fast, or else she was never going to be able to look at her friend again.

“Really, Asami, I’ve got it. I think it’s coming off—oh yeah, look! Totally coming off.” She replied, hoping Asami couldn’t hear how completely unhinged she sounded.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Asami replied. Then, to Korra’s horror, the sound of running water had stopped. Followed by a rustling of the plastic-y shower curtains.  Korra’s stomached dropped—Asami was coming over. _Goodbye childhood innocence_. Korra squeezed her eyes shut.

“—It’s the least I can do, Korra, after you so chivalrously dove into the bushes to collect them for me.” The humor in her voice was lost on Korra, who was pressing herself into the wall to crate at much space between herself and the flimsy curtain that Asami was now standing behind.  

As she struggled to collect herself, Asami’s hand appeared, holding a tiny scratchy looking pad. “Here, just rub it in small circles over your arms—it should get rid of your murder-arms.” Asami laughed. The dark red stains did sort of make Korra look like she had just come from a murder scene. Bolin had talked the whole way back about ways to help Korra bury the body, and how Mako could help stifle any suspicions at the precinct.

“Okaythanks-- Iwill!” Korra blurted, snatching the pad from her hand. Still feeling Asami’s presence, Korra concentrated on scrubbing. The seconds passed slowly, with Korra’s attentions switching between scrubbing and staring at the place Asami was standing just beyond the curtain. Korra could see the tips of Asami’s pink, rubber flops—the ones that reminded Korra of the ones her grandmother wore around the house. Korra had told her as much, only to get hit in the face with Asami’s hair-flip, saying _you just need to get on our level, Korra._

“Any progress?” Asami asked lightly, as though Korra wasn’t a total mess of nerves; as though she couldn’t hear the squeaks and breaks in Korra’s voice; as though standing next to Korra while she showered was a totally natural occurrence. Which, maybe it was, but Korra’s racing heart kept it from being anything other than a cosmic terror.

“Yup, good,” Korra said, “Progress good.” The fumbled response earned her an airy giggle from Asami. “Glad to hear it.” She replied, “Here, let me see. I want to make sure it’s not irritating your skin too much. If you’re not used to it the exfoliating brushes can be a little tough on the skin.”

 The gentle concern in her voice made Korra pause, and that in her naked panic, she had forgotten who she was talking to. It was Asami. She was talking to Asami—ever kind and ever brilliant Asami.

Korra had been so consumed with the idea that seeing Asami naked would make fighting her feelings that much harder, but now, with Asami asking her if she could make sure she wasn’t ruining her arms, she was reminded that it wasn’t Asami’s body that really attracted her; it was her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she stuck her arms out for Asami to inspect them, making sure the curtain was complete covering the rest of her body.  Asami ran her hands gently up and down Korra’s arms. There was something different in the way Asami had been touching her lately, and Korra was beginning to think that even though Asami had steadfastly avoided bringing up their drunken kiss, that maybe, just maybe she was more affected by it than she was letting on.

The thought made Korra shiver and she was glad ( _very_ glad) that the material of the shower curtain kept Asami from seeing her because she knew she was blushing.  “It does look better. You should probably quit for now though. Your skin is starting to look a little raw.” She observed, before adding “But they’re definitely still murder-arms.”  

Korra groaned, “ugh, this is never coming off is it?”

“I mean, look at these muscles,” Asami interrupted, running finger over the dip where her muscle met bone, “Definitely dangerous.” Korra could feel her cheeks reddening at the compliment. Asami’s teasing lilt managed to both break the tension and ignite Korra’s heart all at once. “Here I though Bolin was the corny one,” Korra muttered, moving to turn off the water. Accepting that her plan to avoid towel-clad-Asami had failed and there was nothing she could do about it, and that, although she didn’t want to admit it, part of her had sort of hoped that she would. _Guess you’re getting your subconscious wish,_ she thought ruefully.

“Sometimes you got to mix it up a little.” Asami joked. She was not usually the one for the puns and cheesy jokes, but Korra had to admit it was kind of cute. “Can you hand me a towel?” She asked, feeling one shoved immediately into her hands, “Ill let you have the bigger one.” Asami said, “I think I grabbed the one you’re supposed to use for tying your hair up.”

Korra furrowed her brows, this was the second time Asami had been unprepared. First the conditioner and now the towel? Korra had never known her friend to be unprepared for anything. The girl carried a swiss army knife in her purse for goodness sake.

“There’s a separate towel for that?” Korra asked, curiously, wrapping the towel around herself and gathering her shampoo and body wash.

“There’s a towel for everything. You can’t be using a full sized one just for your hair.” Rolling her eyes, Korra pulled back the curtain, only to be met with Asami, in a dangerously small towel, her nipples _millimeters_ from being on display along with a blush worthy amount of leg. Despite the _vision_ before her, Korra’s eyes were immediately drawn to the apex of Asami’s thighs, the edge of the towel threatening to leave Asami completely bare, and _oh Jesus,_ Korra thought, blushing up to her ears, _it’s Asami’s—_

“You okay there?” Asami was smirking like she knew what this was doing to Korra. Korra didn’t have time to be mortified because Asami was adjusting the towel, and Korra knew she was about to catch a glimpse of “—Yes!” Korra burst, hands flying up to cover her eyes “I’m fine! It’s just that—” she let herself peak between her fingers, “I’m sorry, its just—That towel is _really_ small.”

“Really?” Asami asked innocently, tilting her head and running a hand through her hair in a way that was really unfair, “You don’t think it covers enough?”

“Lets just get changed before I see something I shouldn’t.”

“You don’t think you should?” Asami said running a finger down her side and taking a step towards her, “I think you should look wherever you want.”

Korra froze, meeting Asami’s challenging gaze. Asami was daring her to do something, but she didn’t know what it was. Was she supposed to touch her? Or was Asami just telling her it was okay to look? Korra’s mind was racing, her eyes roving over Asami’s glistening skin.

The towel hugged the curve of her thighs and Korra ached to put her hands on them, to draw Asami close and press herself into her body until there was no space between them. She wanted to bite into the creamy skin of her neck and hear Asami moan; wanted to grab her and slam her against a wall and _ravish_ her. Korra swallowed, meeting Asami’s gaze head on. There was something in the air she couldn’t describe. The way Asami was leaning against the stall, the way she was looking at Korra, like she was daring Korra to move.

Despite the rush between her thighs, despite the smoldering look Asami was sending her, it wasn’t permission. As much as she wanted to rush forward, she wanted to be one hundred percent sure it was something Asami wanted, besides, there was a very real chance that she was messing with her—flustering Korra was something Asami found endlessly amusing, and Korra couldn’t risk misinterpreting it. There was too much at stake; the energy in the air was charged with…something, but until she knew for certain, she was going to play it safe.

“Let’s go get changed.” Korra blurted, rushing past Asami, and missing the way Asami’s face fell.

 

* * *

 

Korra found Asami at the mirrors, blessedly clothed and in the middle of her skin care routine, and, to Korra’s surprise, applying makeup as well.

“It’s just a little mascara.” She laughed, as though anticipating Korra’s question “If I use anything else it’ll just feel grimy. Maybelline hasn’t figured out a campfire-proof foundation yet.” Korra chuckled. “But they got everything else, right?” she asked, “water-proof, sweat-proof—"

“—sex-proof” Asami added, with a wink. Her coy smile sent a wave of heat straight between Korra’s legs. was sending Korra into overdrive. Suddenly Korra’s mind was swarming with thoughts of Asami under her, sweating and panting, played out over Korra’s bed. The thought of Asami consciously buying makeup that wouldn’t smudge during sex, but of Asami consciously buying makeup that wouldn’t smudge during sex with _her_ was sending her mind into overdrive.

Korra swallowed, “That too,” she coughed.

 “You like watching me do my makeup, don’t you?” Asami asked. The question caught Korra totally off guard, the switch from sultry to quiet curiosity was jarring. Asami’s ability to switch her sensuousness on-and-off was incredible, and something Korra never really got used to. She would say something in a tone that would make a sailor blush and then move on to talk about where they should order takeout, as though she hadn’t left Korra in a sputtering mess at the kitchen table.

“Well yeah,” Korra said, scratching at her neck, “Its impressive.” Korra confessed. Asami was looking at her quizzically. “I mean –It’s like, all those little things make such tiny changes, you know? I never even notice when you put one of them on, but then you combine them, and all of a sudden it’s like—boom! super model.”

Asami’s hand stopped, she let out a breathy laugh, “Thank you, Korra.” She looked like she was blushing, but Korra couldn’t really tell. The mirrors were too foggy and she wasn’t standing close enough to Asami to be sure.

“Yeah. Maximum effort, right?” She shuffled from foot to foot, blushing under Asami’s gaze.

“Maximum effort.” Asami agreed, twisting the tube closed and reaching for a tiny container of cream. It was the one that smelled like dewy rose petals, and Korra remembered smelling it off her skin the night they kissed. Asami was always a mix of jasmine, roses, and motor oil and now any time Korra walked by either a flower shop or garage, she thought of her. It was a strange mix, one so perfectly Asami.

Korra moved toward Asami, hefting herself onto the counter, content to watch Asami finish her routine. At one point letting Asami apply some to her arms _to keep the irritation down_ and humming at Asami’s gentle touch combined with the cool feeling of Asami’s expensive moisturize cream combined with her gentle touch. In moments like this, Korra could pretend they were a couple. She could pretend they were sitting on Asami’s bed, and that this was their nightly routine. Korra would brush Asami’s long, black hair and Asami would meet her eyes in the mirror and blow her a kiss. Then, she would lay Korra down and rub cream on her legs and arms, planting kisses on her skin all the while. Korra sighed wistfully.

Asami interrupted the silence, “You have such beautiful skin.” She murmured, and suddenly Korra’s heart felt too big for her chest. Asami wasn’t meeting her eyes, focusing instead on massaging the cream into Korra’s hands, head dipped timidly. “Thanks.” Was all she trusted herself to say. She was too happy; too warm. It was getting hard to breath. There was something happening between them. Something tender but too thin to touch. Korra could feel it growing, like a flower in the first thaw of spring.  

As they made their way out, Asami reached over and tangled her fingers with Korra’s. They stayed like that the entire walk back to camp; Korra letting herself feel the softness of Asami’s hands, and yeah, this was definitely something different.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for any mistakes!


End file.
